Squad 7: Royal Strike Force
by Gallian Squad 7
Summary: Welkin Gunther. Legendary Commander, leader of Squad 7, husband of a Valkyria. He spends his peaceful days amongst children and his family, spreading the knowledge he held so dear. But, even in this time of renewed peace, people speculate his rise. How did one, unassuming young man lead a rag-tag group to save Gallia? I aim to tell that story, from beginning to end.-Irene Coeller
1. Chapter 1

**Another idea in my skull that refuses to be left alone. Oh well, I've updated my main story twice, may as well do this.**

'Ah, it's a great day.'

The traveler's thoughts echoed the day perfectly. A bright sun burned merrily in a blue sky with scant clouds to hide it's majesty from the green hills and valleys. Windmills littered the countryside and turned lazily in a slight breeze, peace in the very air.

A scene very much at odds with the war it was caught between.

But such thoughts did not impeded the traveler's steps, he was far too determined to reach home and see his sister for the first time in almost six months. But, his passion reared it's head as he passed a stream.

"No way!"

He dashed to the side of the river, peering through the reflection to see a rare sight.

"Wow! Moving up stream early this year huh? Wonder why."

He placed his pack on the ground and took out his notebook, far too engrossed with marking his observations to notice the trucks and people trundling down the road behind him.

Or the patrol walking up to him.

He heard a gun cock behind him. "Freeze! Put your hands where I can seem them!"

He froze as instructed and raised both his hands slowly.

"Stand up."

He did.

"Turn around."

He turned slowly, not wanting to get shot. He was met with the sight of two men, town watch by the looks of them, and a girl wearing a modified version of the men's uniform.

"I haven't seen you around here before. What's your name stranger?"

"Me? Uh… my name's… Welkin. And you…?"

"The girl with the gun, that's all you need to know. Now, I'm curious what you've been writing in that little book of yours. We've had reports of Imperial spies in the area."

Welkin recoiled, surprised. "What? This, this is nothing! I swear! I was just sketching the fish…"

The woman gave a condescending chuckle. "Oh, I'm sure. You do know there's a war going on right? We'll talk sketching down at the station and maybe you can tell us who you work for too. If it's not Imperial than the Federation's the only other answer."

"Take him away."

The two watchmen grabbed Welkin's arms.

He sighed as they led him away. "Thanks fish."

 _Ten minutes later_

The woman was flipping through his book from what he could see, but he'd been too busy trying to keep one foot in front of the other to try and reason with her. Then again, she seemed determined about him being a spy.

"Flowers, Fish, Bugs, you have just about everything in here don't ya. I'll admit they're pretty good."

Welkin saw another opening. "See? I really was just sketching, no spying involved."

The woman huffed. "Please, this could be a kind of code. I'm not stupid."

Welkin almost blinked. Well at least she took her job seriously.

'I just hope Is will forgive me for being so late.'

"Welks!"

Welkin smiled. Speak of the devil.

A young woman ran up to their little party, obviously distraught. "Geez Welks! What have you done _this_ time?"

Welkin gave a sheepish grin while the other woman tried to puzzle out who she was.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, wait! You're the one that lives in the old genera's house!"

The girl smiled. "Yes, my name is Isara; I'm General Gunther's daughter."

The woman relaxed a bit. "You do know that the town's supposed to evacuate right? We were given till sundown to leave."

Isara nodded. "Yes, my brother's come from the capital to help me. Though…" She giggled. "It'll be hard for him to help if he's in your custody."

The watchmen's jaws fell open while the woman gave Welkin a surprised look.

Then she pouted.

"Damn it."

She waved off the two watchmen and pulled the book out of her pack.

"I'm sorry. I was just doing my job though, you were marking something in your notebook and protocol demanded it. Again, I'm really sorry."

Welkin waved her apology off. "It's fine; I can understand why that would look suspicious."

Isara jumped in. "Welkin's really passionate about nature. He's even going for Biology major at university."

Welkin rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I've been told that I get so engrossed in my studies that I forget where I am, what's going on, or if someone's watching me. It's led to more than one misunderstanding and let's leave it at that."

Everyone chuckled, the atmosphere much more relaxed.

A crack shattered the air.

"Everyone down! That was gunfire!"

They hit the dirt and looked around. "There!"

A trio of men in metal armor were running down a slope, guns in hand. Another series of cracks rent the air soon followed by the screams of civilians being gunned down. One of the soldiers pulled a grenade and threw it just below the truck, destroying the vehicle a moment later.

The two watchmen began to return fire but a quick shot from one of the soldiers killed one of them instantly.

"Mrs. Melchiott! We need to move or the people will be in danger!"

The woman snapped out of her stunned stupor. "Right!"

She turned to Welkin after scooping up the dead man's rifle. "You said your name was Welkin right? Can you handle a gun?"

Welkin snapped back to reality and grabbed the gun she was offering. "Right, I made it through basic at least."

Melchiott, as Welkin dubbed her for now, nodded. "That's more than I was hoping. Any way they're likely nothing more than a small scouting team so we should be able to eliminate them if we're careful."

Welkin nodded. "Alright. Is, stay down until we're done ok?"

She nodded and Welkin dashed off to join Melchiott behind a stone wall.

"Ok, one of them is isolated from the others over there." She pointed to a lone soldier just a head of them. "The other two are further back, likely trying to find Drew. We have the element of surprise for now but after we drop him the others will take notice. Ready?"

Welkin nodded but had one question. "Who's going to take him though? If we wanted to be smart about this I'd recommend you take the shot while I give covering fire to let you move up. There are some sandbags a little further up for cover and I'm not one to question good fortune."

Melchiott smirked. "I like your thinking Welkin. Alright on three."

She placed her rifle over the lip of the wall and felt time slow down as adrenaline rushed through her. She adjusted her sights, placed the crosshairs over his head, and fired.

Two shots barked from the rifle and slammed into the soldiers helmet, the first concussing him and the second punching straight out the other side of his head, killing him instantly.

Welkin shot up and began to fire at the others, driving them into cover and letting Melchiott move up. He ducked back into cover as the soldiers returned fire but Melchiott was in their blind spots now, and she used it to her advantage.

'Aim, breathe, fire.' She thought as another soldier entered her sights, pulling the trigger when he stopped to reload his rifle.

Another two shots barked and he fell just as easily, slumping against the wall where he'd taken cover.

'Two down, one to go.'

The last enemy scout had taken refuge behind another wall, bullets digging divots in the wall from the other watchmen's fire. Melchiott waved for Welkin to join her while the scout was distracted.

"That was amazing! You're quite a shot!"

She preened a bit at the praise but shook it away. "Now's not the time for compliments, we still have one more to go. He's pinned by Drew right now but his ammo's going to run out eventually, I need you to add to the cross-fire until I can toss a grenade on his head. Either he'll bail and get shot or be blown to smithereens."

Welkin nodded. "Alright, here goes."

He popped out and began firing at the wall the scout was hiding behind. He'd timed it well since the watchmen had to duck back and reload so the scout stayed pinned.

Melchiott dashed from her cover and made it to the scout's wall just as Welkin had to duck and reload.

'Ok, twist the cap, pull the chord, and hit the deck.' She recited in her head, pulling out one of her grenades.

She set the timer to five seconds and yanked the rip cord, tossing it over the wall and rolling away. She didn't hear anything a moment later as a roar assaulted her ears and she din't hear anything further until her ears stopped ringing.

When her hearing came back the shooting had stopped. When she stood up, she found the wall and surrounding area destroyed but no body.

"Did you get him?" She called.

"Yeah! He bailed a second after you tossed the grenade and I put two shots in him!"

She sighed, glad it was over. "Alright! Gather up the bodies and bury them! We're not animals."

Her last words were whispered but her orders were clear and the watchmen set to work while Welkin walked up to her.

"It's really starting. In some corner of my mind I guess I just wanted this to all pass by, that our town wasn't important enough to be attacked."

Welkin nodded in sympathy. "I understand, but that's why we need to defend it right? To keep that town together and ready for all of us to return."

She chuckled dryly. "University _and_ good with words? What else can you do? Drive a tank?"

Welkin chuckled, waving to Isara on the opposite hill. "I can't but she can."

Melchiott blinked but sighed. "Never mind. Let's get back to town for now, I need to report this anyway."

Welkin laughed. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Actually, before we go, I don't think I ever actually caught your name."

She blinked. "Oh, sorry, my name's Alicia Melchiott. Pleasure."

They shook hands.

Alicia laughed as Isara finally joined them. "I don't know why, but I feel like we'll be seeing each other quite a bit from now on."

Welkin and Isara smiled too.

"Funny, I have the same feeling."

 _Ch. End_

 **This is just an introduction everyone, just me feeling out the story and what I want to do so it's a bit short. When I eventually get to the squad members I will go with my personal favorites that I used and no one elses.**

 **Also, let's just say there's going to be a logistics error later that makes this a bit more fun.**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**


	2. Bruhl

**My lord, I forgot this existed! Well, no more! I may be in the middle of a rewrite of my main story, but by thunder, I will write the next chapter to this!**

 _Bruhl_

"Ah, it's good to be back."

Welkin dropped his bag next to the door, breathing in the scent of his old home.

Isara brushed past him. "Well, we can't stay for long. Remember, we only have till sundown to get on the road."

He sighed. "Right, forgot about that. Anyway, where's Martha?"

"Ah, is that my Welkies?"

An older woman with light brown hair walked forward, stomach bulging under her apron. "Well I'll be, it is! How, are you Welkie, you eating well?"

Welkin scratched at his head. "Please, Martha, stop with that name! I'm twenty one, not ten."

Martha chuckled. "Oh, you'll always be Welkie to me, even when you're grey and cranky."

Welkin sighed again, trying to ignore Isara's giggles. "Well shouldn't you have evacuated by now? Your pregnant for heaven's sake!"

Martha smiled, though it felt more like a glare. "Oh, I'm sure you're not thinking I shouldn't be up and about, not when I've already had four."

Welkin decided to drop it then and there.

Isara giggled again. "Well, we only have a few things left. Come with me, Welks."

Welkin followed along and began hauling some of the heavier items to the car outside. Most were just basic necessities, but a couple of items caught his eye.

"Hey, uh, Is?"

Isara poked her head into the room. "Yes?"

He pointed to a crate with four long rifles in them. "What are these?"

Isara gasped. "Oh, you don't remember? Those are the prototype rifles I was sent as part of my maintenance course."

Welkin hummed. "Why send you rifles? Didn't you sign up for tank maintenance?"

Then it clicked. "Is, you sneaky little minx."

Isara smiled. "I assure you that these Gallian S20 rifles are here only for study. It's not like they're already loaded and combat effective in case we get attacked."

Welkin shook his head. "I will never understand your ability to get your hands on such high end stuff. You've gotten cheese from Firald for heaven's sake."

Isara continued smiling before Martha's voice echoed through the house. "Welkie! You have a visitor!"

"Stop calling me that, Martha!" He called, dashing to the front of the house. To his eternal mortification, Alicia was standing in the doorway, her smile beyond amused.

"I came to deliver a present." She began, mirth obvious. "But, it seems I got one in turn. Anyway, this is from our bakery in town, help yourselves"

She handed Martha a bag filled to the brim with bread, the smell filling the room. "Oh, this is lovely! Actually, you must be Alicia. Jane talks to me about you _all_ the time."

Alicia blushed. "Oh, you're too kind. I'm just an apprentice though, Mrs. Jane is many times better than me."

Martha just laughed. "Well, Welkie, why don't you escort this lovely lady back to town? Don't worry about us, we can handle the rest."

Welkin sighed. "I'll never win that battle. But, I haven't seen the town in a long time. May as well."

Alicia smiled. "I don't mind showing you around. Who knows, maybe you'll see something new."

He laughed. "That'd be nice."

"Hey, Welks! Before you go, take these."

Isara entered the room with two of the GS20s slung over her shoulders.

Welkin blinked. "Uh, I don't think we'll need those."

Alicia was intrigued. "What are those? They look a lot more advanced then the Town Watch guns."

Isara smiled. "They're Gallian S-20s. They're specially modified for the best possible accuracy while having a moderate improvement in fire power. They're still deep in the experimental phase, but I have friends."

Alicia was almost drooling. "But… how?"

Welkin smiled. "See that painting on the mantle?"

Alicia glanced to where he was pointing. The painting was pretty simple, but is showed two important figures standing in it.

"General Gunther?"

Welkin nodded. "Yep, that's dad."

A light went off over Alicia's head. "So, that means the man next to him…"

Isara nodded. "My father, Theimer. He left a lot of friends behind in Gallian R&D after he died, so, after General Gunther adopted me, I used his contacts to get at things in development."

Welkin shook his head. "She's probably single handedly responsible for some of the biggest tank developments in the past ten years."

Alicia stared at them like they were the strangest people in the world.

Isara smiled sadly. "Well, I don't try to think about it. I've had the privilege of knowing two wonderful fathers, and I would have it no other way. Now then, take these, just in case, and have some fun!"

Alicia grabbed at her gun, questions spilling out about how to use it, calibrations, ammo, and those sorts of things. Welkin stood by and waited, almost all of his questions spilling from Alicia's mouth.

After Alicia was satisfied, they wandered down the road toward town. It was silent most of the way, the only conversation happening whenever Alicia had a question, but it wasn't all that awkward.

 _She really seems to like that gun. Then again, when all you have to work with is a basic G-1, anything of that quality is practically euphoric._

He paused when he noticed Alicia had stopped. "Hey, what's up?"

Alicia took a deep breath. "Oh, I just want to do something real quick."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out something Welkin couldn't see. A moment later, a cloud of white puffs drifted into the air and blew away on the breeze.

Welkin knew them. "Lion's Paw seeds. A good choice."

Alicia turned to him. "Oh? Why do you say that?"

Welkin smiled. "They're strong, simple, and small. It's a perfect analogy for Gallia, that's why it's the national flower."

Alicia laughed. "Well, I didn't know that."

He shrugged. "It's not the most common knowledge. Anyway, shall we? I want to see the old mill."

Alicia nodded and they set off again, arriving in town a few minutes later.

Welkin sighed at the near empty streets. "Man, Bruhl really looks like a ghost town."

Alicia sighed too. "Yeah, they've been leaving for a while. The tensions with the empire have been rising lately, so I can't blame them."

Welkin shrugged. "Neither can I. But, are you going to be sticking around?"

Alicia turned to him. "Yeah. The Town Watch will stick around and defend the Homefront. That way, when everyone returns, they'll find good old Bruhl."

She tilted her head. "Actually, if I may ask, will you be joining the military like your father?"

Welkin smiled glancing at one of the trees. "Nah, I don't think that's for me. What I really want to do is teach."

Alicia smirked. "A teacher? Why's that?"

Welkin scratched at his head again. "Well, plants, animals, insects, they've always fascinated me. I've learned all kinds of things from nature, and I want to teach people about it. See, my dad protected this country in the war, but… but I want to give back in my own way. Does… that make sense?"

Alicia smiled. "Sure, that makes sense. Would you mind having a friend in the town guard that also happens to be a baker?"

He raised a brow. "Are you asking to be friends?"

She rolled her eyes. "Could I be any more obvious?"

He laughed. "No, I don't think you could. But, sure, I'd love to be friends."

They shook hands.

Alicia blinked. "Hey, Welkin… do you hear that?"

He blinked in turn, ears straining. "Not really… wait, is that?!"

A sharp whistle rent the air, an explosion deafening everyone in range as an artillery shell slammed into the old mill.

Black smoke billowed from the sullied old mortar, ancient wood cracking and tearing as the supporting stone collapsed. One poor soul on the walkway held on for dear life but fell into the smoke, never to be seen again.

When Welkin's hearing returned, he could hear the townspeople that hadn't evacuated running around in a panic. Most were just trying to get away from the blast, but the Town Watch was able to start funneling the people towards the edge of the town.

Moments later, the cracks of rifles and the rattle of sub-machine guns added to the din of collapsing stone. Civilians fell to the ground, some dead, others injured.

Welkin felt a hand on his arm. "We need to take cover! Imperials are storming the plaza, if we don't move, we're dead!"

That was Alicia. He felt himself nod and they scrambled into an alley between some buildings, ducking behind a pile of sandbags when they were a good distance away.

"Is there anyone near the plaza? This is Alicia Melcihott, we have Imperials in the plaza!"

Welkin glanced over, sighing when he saw Alicia screaming into her portable radio.

"I repeat, is anyone here?!"

Welkin, instead of wondering about other soldiers, unslung his rifle and glanced down their alley. "Alicia, I see one of the Town Watch two barriers in front of us. He's got two of the Imperials pinned, but I see a few more up ahead."

Alicia sighed. "All we can do is try to make the plaza now. Most of their vanguard's probably further in town, but if we take out the captain we can buy some time."

Welkin nodded. "Good plan. Breaking the chain of command is always a good idea."

Alicia unslung her rifle. "Remind me to get Isara something _really_ nice after this."

He sighed. "You and me both."

She almost laughed. "Ok, on three, I'm going to lay down some fire. If I'm lucky, I'll hit one of them, but you move up."

He shrugged. "Classic leapfrog. Alright, ready when you are."

Alicia checked her rifle one more time before holding up three fingers. When she folded down the last one, Welkin leapt from the barrier and dashed to the next barrier. When he arrived, the area was actually quieter than it had been.

Curious, he glanced over his cover and couldn't stop himself from staring. Three of the soldiers that had been coming to reinforce their pinned comrades lay dead, clean holes in their armor. Another was lying slumped out of cover, arm hanging on by a sinew.

After swallowing his lunch, Welkin glanced back to see a stunned Alicia. The rifle was up, smoke leaking from the barrel, and a spent cartridge lay on the ground.

 _Damn, Is. I knew the things were high end, but this is almost unfair!_

Reality crashed back when bullets lashed at his cover. "Alicia! I'll provide cover now! Move up when I start firing!"

He received a quick thumbs up from Alicia before he took a deep breath.

 _Ok, just like training. It may be high end, but it's still the rifle you're used to._

He sighed and loaded the first shell. After an internal count, he popped up and felt adrenaline take over.

 _Three contacts, one's advancing, one's shooting at the Watch Guard,_ _the other's grabbing for his radio._

His first round slammed into the Imperial caught in the open, sending him spinning. The second buried itself into the hand of the Imperial reaching for his radio, followed by the third drilling through his chest.

The fourth opened a hole in the attacker's skull, dropping him like a rock.

It left him with one shot in the cartridge. Adrenaline still surging, he spotted another Imperial further down the alley. They were running for cover, but the final bullet cracked the air and tore through the weak shoulder armor.

He went down without a sound.

Welkin panted, adrenaline making him jittery. "Targets… down."

Alicia joined him and they ducked behind the barrier with the Watch Guard.

"Hey, did you get a hold of anyone? Where's Noce?"

The Watch Guard shook his head. "Noce's on the east side of Bruhl. He's organizing an evacuation corridor, but these Imps are making it hard."

Alicia nodded. "Ok, here's the plan. I'm pretty sure there's an officer in the plaza, if we take them out, we'll be able to buy some time for the evacuation."

The man nodded. "Ma'am, if I may? Where did you get that rifle?"

Alicia shook her head. "Long story, no time. When I give the signal, we move up. Imperial Officers are the ones decked out in red; you see one, fire at will."

The man nodded, but Welkin spoke up. "Uh, not to sound like the know it all here, but wouldn't it be more prudent to try and take them out in one shot?"

Alicia paused. "You know what? You're right. Belay that first order, if you see them, aim. But, if they're in a cluster and within throwing distance, use your grenade."

The man nodded again. "Understood ma'am!"

Alicia turned to Welkin. "Ready to go? We're going to charge that cover up ahead, but be careful. We don't know if any Imperials are hiding."

Welkin reloaded his rifle. "I'm good. Just watch the left corner and I think we'll be good."

She nodded again and held up her hand. "And… move!"

The leapt over their barrier and scurried forward. Shots barked from the left, but the Watch Guard took the earlier warning to heart. The Imperial was riddled with holes shortly thereafter.

They made their cover and winced at the scene before them. The plaza was in ruins, the remains of the old mill still smoking in the center. Gunfire was coming from opposite their cover, the Watchmen giving the Imperials all they could handle.

Alicia, ever goal oriented, spotted their target. "Their they are, over by that truck."

Her voice was barely a whisper, but she was heard just fine.

Welkin glanced at her. "From what I've seen, you're our best shot. That's too far away to toss a grenade and it's beyond his G-1's range."

The Watchman nodded. "Miss Alicia's the best shot in the Watch, hands down. Only one that comes close is Noce."

She sighed. "Alright, be yellow and let the girl do all the work."

Welkin shook his head. "Best person for the job gets it, let's not enforce stereotypes."

She groaned. "Geez, you are a university student. Can't even pick up sarcasm."

She turned around and checked her gun again. "Ok, here I go."

She steadied herself and popped out of cover, adrenaline surging once more. Everything was moving so slowly, the clouds, the Imperials, the wind, everything. IT was surreal, even more so when she zeroed in on the red helmet slowly turning towards her.

 _Got ya._

Her rifle barked twice and time resumed. The Imperial Captain fell to the ground immediately, the troops further up the plaza falling into disarray.

Alicia finally released her breath. "Go find any civilians. Funnel them to Noce's corridor while they try and regroup."

The Watchman nodded and scurried away, leaving Welkin and Alicia to take potshots at the remaining Imperials.

But, shortly after that, a noise met their ears that made a pit open in their stomachs.

A piercing whistle rent the air once more, the shell erasing a Watchman position across the plaza. The sound of treads became clearer and clearer until an Imperial tank rolled over the remains of a wall. Its front guns blazed as it ripped into the Watchmen positions, the militia panicking and running for their lives.

Few escaped the barrage.

Alicia was pale as death. "A… tank."

Welkin somehow kept his cool. "We're not equipped to fight that thing. We need to leave, now!"

Alicia snapped back to reality. "None of the Watch have Lancaars either. There's nothing we can do against it except buy time."

She looked to her right. "Ok, listen. There's an alley across the plaza and down the main road that leads out of town. If you get to that, you can run for the general's estate. I'll spit off from there and help organize the evacuation."

Welkin gulped. "Hey, that sounds…"

She sighed. "Dangerous?"

He nodded.

"Look, you're not part of the Watch and you have family that needs to leave. I still have a duty to defend this place until everyone's away. If you want the Watch to live, you'll get out of here as soon as you can."

Welkin grit his teeth. "…Fine. But, you have to stay safe, ok? I won't have a friend die on me."

She laughed. "Same, now, when I say go, we run."

He nodded.

"Ok… go!"

They dashed out of cover and ran for their lives. Luckily, the tank had advanced far enough they didn't have to worry about its turrets, but they still had to avoid a hail of rifle fire.

It didn't mean they didn't return fire. Several Imperials crumpled under their counter-fire and it likely saved their lives.

They panted as they turned the corner, Welkin nodding to Alicia. "Ok, I'm going to get Is and Martha. We'll see you at the evacuation point."

Alicia nodded. "It'll likely be at the town gate. Make your way there, but be careful. This can't be good for Martha in her state."

Welkin cursed under his breath. "You're right, I need to go."

Alicia patted his back. "Good luck."

He nodded in thanks and took off running. He didn't see anything but the path in front of him, even as he burst into the countryside and began to run beside a fence.

He finally saw his house when a crack shattered the air.

 _No, Is, Martha!_

He barely had time to think, instead ripping a fence post out of the earth. He had just enough sense to sneak into the house, only to have his vision burn red at the sight of two Imperials pointing their guns at Martha and Isara.

He rushed in with a roar, slamming the fence post into the first Imperial's head. A wet crack proved his skull had been crushed by the blow.

The other turned on Welkin, weapon bared. A crack shattered the air again, but smoke didn't curl from the Imperial's gun.

The soldier barely turned. "Darcsen…pig!"

With that final insult, he fell to the ground, a hole drilled through the upper back. Welkin gave him a good whack, both for good measure and to punish him for daring to call his sister something so vulgar.

Isara, the shooter, ran to the fallen Martha' side. "Welks, she's going into labor!"

Welkin spit a foul curse. "Is there anything we can move her in? It's not safe here for anyone, let alone a pregnant woman."

Isara's face scrunched before she gasped. "Welks, the barn! We can use the thing in the barn!"

His face betrayed his confusion.

"Look, just get Martha over there! I'll go get it set up!"

She dashed out of the room, leaving Welkin with the groaning woman.

He steadied his breathing before leaning next to Martha. "Ok, Martha, listen to me. I'm going to get you to the barn. From there, we're going to leave the estate and make our way to the edge of town. After that, we're going to pick up a friend and leave. Ok?"

Martha was in enough pain to barely think, but she nodded all the same. Using all the bare knowledge he had, Welkin guided her to the barn. Their progress was painfully slow, but they soon met Isara at the barn entrance.

After guiding Martha into the barn, Welkin joined Isara in front of their ride.

"Isara, is this what I think it is?"

She smiled. "Yep."

He gazed at her, amazed. "You went and supped up Dad's tank? Heck, I'm amazed it's still here!"

Isara was positively giddy. "I fixed it up with a new turbine engine and kept the rest up to date in case of emergencies, like now. In addition, I made a _little_ addition to the Edelweiss just to be sure."

She pulled the tarp off the front of the vehicle, Welkin's face falling flat at what he saw.

"Is? Is that a massive turret that shouldn't exist outside a tank nut's dreams?"

She smiled demurely. "I assure you, I have no idea what you mean. Anyway, the Edelweiss is not only field worthy, it's firepower and range is well beyond the most recent models while its armor is more than a match."

She shrugged. "Just… be aware that it can't take a hit to the radiator by a Lancaar lance. That's one thing no one can fix."

Welkin sighed. "I know you signed up for a maintenance course, but I'm amazed you didn't have engineer unions and companies breaking down the door. You're a wunderkind."

Isara giggled. "Why, thank you."

She turned back to the tank. "Anyway, I know it'll start. Welks, you took the armor command course, right?"

He didn't like where this was going. "Yeah… once… in high school."

Isara shrugged. "That's fine. You'll give the orders, I'll drive. We'll be able to reach a safer place this way."

Welkin gulped as she handed him a headset. "Uh, what about Martha? And firing if we need to do that?"

Isara just smiled.

"You know what, never mind. Let's get rolling."

They clambered into the tank and, after a quick check, got the engine started. It practically purred, the new engine humming along wonderfully. Welkin popped out of the tank, taking another steadying breath.

"Alright, here's what we'll do. Alicia's still out there helping the civilians evacuate, but I doubt they'll hold out for long. Our objective is to find her, pick her up, and get out of town."

He felt Isara pat an affirmative on his leg.

"Alright, Edelweiss, move out!"

The tank jumped forward, rumbling on its treads. For having a big turret and a strange chassis, the Edelweiss was incredibly quick.

In fact, it only took five minutes to rumble their way back into town. Welkin had since joined Isara in the tank, keeping his head out was suicide, but could hear the din of battle outside the tank.

"Sounds like we're close. How's Martha doing?"

Isara glanced back at the nest of scopes in front of her. "She's doing fine. The contractions aren't that frequent right now, but that could change at any time."

She spotted something. "Hey, Welks, that wall over there looks pretty thin. The Edelweiss should be able to punch through it."

He turned his view to the wall. "Yep, I agree. Is, if you would kindly take us through that wall."

She snorted. "And here I thought the day my nature nut brother was actually cool would never come."

Welkin took umbrage to that statement, but Isara was already making the Edelweiss steamroll through the wall. It crumpled before its mighty mass, dumping the tank next to the main road.

A buzz entered Welkin's ear. "Hey, who brought the tank?!"

He sighed, relieved. "Alicia, this is Welkin Gunther. We're in the blue tank with the big turret, please do not fire at us."

Alicia's voice screeched into his ear. "You have a tank?!"

Welkin cringed, that hurt. "Yes, we do. Anyway, point us where we need to go and we'll take care of it."

Alicia stuttered for amoment before composing herself. "We took care of the Imperials on the side path, but the main road's swarming with them. They have a tank too and it's already pounded the city gate hard. Take it out!"

Welkin nodded. "Roger. Is, take us straight to the street, shoot the Imperials with AI gun if you see any."

Isara nodded and pushed the Edelweiss forward. A few poor sods tried to see what the noise was only to get mowed down by the Edelweiss's anti-personnel gun. They soon turned the corner and Isara narrowed her eyes.

"Enemy tank sighted. Turning turret right seventy five degrees. Lowering barrel by twenty two point five.

She pushed the controls into position. "Loading anti-armor ammo."

A shell slid into place. "Ready to fire."

Welkin peered through his scope and smirked. They'd caught the tank with its pants down and its radiator was wide open.

"Fire!"

The shell roared out of the Edelweiss's gun, slamming into the other tanks radiator. The results were explosive, to say the least.

"Welkin, permission to act as midwife?"

Welkin almost choked. "You don't need my permission for that! And how do you know how to deliver babies?!"

Isara didn't answer, but Welkin heard Alicia's voice come over the radio again. "Yes, now you're my hero, Welkin! This makes up for me saving your life earlier today!"

Welkin smirked. "Well, I'd hope so. Anyway, I think that's the last we'll see of them for a while. Get the people out of here. We'll take you in the tank."

Her voice was curious. "Why me?"

He chuckled. "From what I've learned, you'll be the last to leave. May as well make sure you have some protection."

Alicia's response was drowned by a piercing shriek from Martha, followed by the distinct cry of a newborn.

"Welks, Welks! It's a boy, Marhta had a boy!"

Welkin was dumbfounded. "She… she gave birth in Dad's tank? How am I going to explain that to him when I see him again?!"

Isara chuckled. "Well, that shouldn't be for a _long_ time, so you can come up with a good story."

Welkin sighed. He could hear Alicia laughing in his head piece. "Just… make sure you wash out the blood. I'm glad it seems everything went well, but I'd rather not have it smell in here when we get locked in."

Isara just laughed.

-Two Hours Later—

Sadly, they could do nothing to stem the Imperial tide. From their vantage on a hill top a few miles away, the Bruhl natives watched their town be occupied.

Alicia sighed into the evening air. "I… I thought I was ready for this. We all did. But… seeing all that carnage? How callously innocent people were cut down? It's… it's not human damn it."

Welkin wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Hey, Alicia. See those birds? They may look wild and free to us, but each one has its own territory. They would defend that territory, their home, with their lives if need be."

He turned her around, making their eyes meet. "But, even in that constant struggle, I've seen them help each other, cooperate?"

Alicia blinked. "Cooperate…Why?"

Welkin smiled. "That's why I'm studying animal sciences, I want to know the answer to that exact question and pass it on to the children. We may not be able to stop wat altogether, but maybe we can learn to live like one people, like the animals do."

Alicia finally smiled. "I hope so. It… sounds wonderful."

A cry stopped Welkin from responding, Isara joining them with a new life in her hands. "Sorry to interrupt, but Martha fell asleep. As such, I'm the babysitter."

Alicia giggled at the chubby face. "Ah, he cute."

Welkin reached for the child. "Remember when you released those Lion''s Paw seeds earlier? This is further proof that, even in war, life springs forth anew. It's never just people killing others, there's always something behind it."

He took the baby to the top of the hill and pointed to Bruhl. "See that? That's your home town. It'll be fun to fill out your birth certificate, but you'll have quite the story to tell when we come back."

Alicia and Isara joined him. "We'll all come back, someday. It's what we're fighting for."

Welkin smiled at Alicia's declaration. "Yeah, we'll all be back. We'll all be back sooner than we think.

 _Ch. End_

 **Mein Gott im Himmel, it is done! I am beyond embarrassed to have forgotten this, but here it is, chapter two! Please, direct any questions to either the review box or my PM and thank you all for the support!**

 **Now, back to the rewrite!**


	3. Randgriz

**Geez, I keep forgetting about this one with my other stories.**

 **But, with Valkyria Revolution upon us Westerners, it is time for another installment of my little story. Today, we arrive in Randgriz and get ourselves acquainted with the various members of Squad 7.**

 **(Note: The active members of Squad 7 are limited to the members that I personally use. The others that are not part of Welkin's main unit are divided into one of two sub-squads, each with their own leader that report to Welkin, Alicia, Rosie, and Largo.)**

 _Randgriz_

* * *

The fall of Bruhl was hard on the small group, even as they swore to return.

No one mentioned it, but they all knew it was practically hopeless for them to return to the quiet town as free Gallian citizens.

That knowledge made for a quiet journey, even as they drew surprised looks whenever they went. It wasn't surprising, considering they were riding an incredibly supped up tank, but it was weird that the soldiers they'd passed at several checkpoints hadn't so much as glanced at them.

Eventually though, Welkin spotted their destination through the targeting scopes. "I can see the gates. We'll be at Randgriz in about three hours at our current speed."

Isara sighed from her spot at the controls. "Current speed. Are you sure we can't just go off-road, the treads can take it without any problems."

Alicia answered that question. "And have the army panic? We'd have artillery shells rain on us before you could say 'stupid'."

Isara mumbled something about her 'baby' being able to take 'puny shells' but otherwise kept driving. Alicia looked up from the back of the tank's interior and stared at the sliver of sky she could see through the exit hatch. "So, do you think Martha's going to be ok?"

Welkin nodded. "She will be. Her husband's in Randgriz with her kids and the doctor we left her with is one of her oldest friends. Don't be surprised if you see her around the capital."

Alicia nodded and they fell silent, only the rumble of the engine and the chattering of refugees filling the air. Eventually, Welkin spoke again. "So, I'll just go ahead and say it. We're going to get drafted."

Isara sighed. "That's the policy. Wouldn't surprise me if they decided to try and confiscate the Edelweiss, but considering I have all the ownership papers in one of the storage bins, we should be able to keep it."

Alicia shrugged. "Well, we can only speculate. I mean, if I'm conscripted, I'd probably get an officer posting considering I was a Town Watch leader."

Isara chuckled. "You'd probably be answering to Welks here then. He took armored command in highschool and passing makes him a lieutenant. As for me, I'd be an engineer."

Welkin snorted. "Give it a month, you'll be running the entire corps. Wouldn't surprise me if the regular army tried to transfer you."

Isara sniffed. "And leave you alone? Please, I go where you go. Besides, I don't want to leave this little marvel in your clumsy hands."

Alicia laughed as the siblings started to bicker once again. Their sharp tongues had been an endless source of amusement and Alicia found herself hoping they'd be assigned together when the Milita came calling.

The rest of the trip had an air of relaxation that had been missing since they'd left, only dissipating when they came up to the great gates of Randgriz itself. Welkin let out a low whistle as the Edelweiss came to a stop, a long line of trucks and people waiting their turn to go in. "Man, those are some big gates."

Alicia poked her head out of the exit hatch, motioning for Isara to join her. "You can say that again. Look at all these people, are they all refugees?"

Isara's head poked out too. "I'd guess so. A lot of them are probably getting conscripted too."

A commotion caught their attention, two groups of people getting into a scrum a ways further up. Alicia narrowed her eyes, trying to see well, but Isara figured it out first. "Darcsens, it looks like some of them are being forced out of the line."

Welkin joined them. "People are desperate. Even with all the soldiers around, no one feels safe until they're in the walls."

Alicia shook her head. "That's sick. The Darcsens are just as desperate, but people will gladly throw them aside if it means they live."

Isara's head bowed, hands tightening on her skirt. "My people have dealt with worse. All we can do is live our lives and try to lead by example."

Alicia knew by the monotone that Isara's words had been said more than once.

Welkin pointed at the commotion. "It looks like there are a few people on each side trying to stop the others. What say we put a stop to it before the soldiers get annoyed?"

Isara nodded. "Agreed. I'm betting they'd have intervened already if it wasn't Darcsens getting harassed."

The cynicism was odd coming from her, but Alicia and Welkin could say nothing as Isara ducked back into the Edelweiss and turned the body towards the fight. The people between them and the scuffle parted like a river before a boulder, but the instigators were so engrossed in their act the Edelweiss's arrival was ignored.

In total, four people were trying to get the irate people under control. One was a middle-aged Darcsen man in glasses who was defending a woman and two children. Another was a young Darcsen woman who'd placed herself before the other Darcsens and was trying to talk down the harassers. The other two were not Darcsens, one being a girl with grey hair and the other being a large man with dark brown hair and sunglasses.

Seeing that no one had noticed them, somehow, Welkin sighed. "Isara, what's the loudest noise we can make without actually firing?"

Isara answered by shifting gear and briefly slamming the pedal into the floor. The Edelweiss roared in response, the engine glowing brightly and silencing all chatter within ear shot.

Welkin sighed as all eyes went to him. "Thanks, Is. Now I look like an ass."

He cleared his throat. "Excuse me, would you mind stopping this? You're slowing down the line."

A large man with a blonde pompadour sauntered forward. "You talk big, but they ain't worth the time it takes to get in! Dark hairs are only good for fodder while us good citizens get inside!"

Welkin's eyes narrowed. "This fighting only makes it all take longer to get in! No one cares about race right now, they only care that you're holding up the line!"

Welkin gestured behind him where an ever growing line of people stretched off to the horizon. Many of them had glares fixed on the blonde man and his cronies.

At that point, as if fate itself was driving the point home, a voice dripping with authority made itself known. "What the devil is going on here?"

The voice was that of a woman, the click of boots on the stone road clear in the silence that followed the call. When the woman arrived, her uniform showed her to be a Militia captain and her stern face held an air of command.

She looked to both sides, noting how the Darcsens were huddled together while the blonde man and his cronies were holding aggressive stances. "I can already guess the situation. Men, detain the instigators and escort these people to the gate. Everyone else, know that three extra checkpoints will be opening shortly, we should be speeding up the admittance by almost two hours."

With that announcement, militia members emerged from the crowd and grabbed hold of the aggressors. A trio of blonde women made their way to the Darcsens and started escorting them to the gate.

Welkin watched with unabashed surprise, not sure what to do with the show of authority and dignity. "Thank you, ma'am."

The woman looked at him. "Hmph, so you're the one in the tank. You have two others in there with you, correct?"

Welkin nodded. "Yes, I have my sister in here along with a friend. Why do you ask?"

The woman adjusted her spectacles. "I've been given orders to bring you to Militia HQ the moment you arrived. You, and everyone in that tank, have been drafted."

She turned to the four people that had tried to stop the fight earlier. "The same goes for you as well. If you would all follow me, we can get this done as soon as possible."

The woman turned on her heel and began to march away. Considering the Militia soldiers that had stuck around, Welkin knew they didn't have much of a choice. "Alright, Is, follow her. I'm pretty sure we were all going to volunteer anyway."

Isara didn't answer, instead kicking the Edelweiss into drive and rumbling forward. Alicia pushed Welkin out of the way and climbed out onto the front of the tank, holding herself steady with the turret barrel.

Welkin looked down at her. "You could have just told me to move."

Alicia shrugged. "Wanted to talk to our new friends here."

She looked to the Darcsens first since they were closer to her. "So, what are your names?"

The young woman went first. "My name's Nadine. This guy's name is Wavy, we met a couple days ago when our groups met up."

Alicia nodded. "Nice to meet you both. My name's Alicia, the guy up there is Welkin, and our driver's named Isara. We're from Bruhl."

Wavy spoke for the first time, his voice steady and smooth. "That's pretty close to the border. What did you do while you were there?"

Nadine smiled at Alicia's confused face. "Wavy's a teacher, so he's really curious about places he hasn't been. Oh, I'm a novelist, but I haven't had much time to write with everything going on."

Alicia hummed. "I see. Well, I'm a baker's apprentice, that's what the scarf's for, and I helped lead the Town Watch."

Welkin spoke for the first time. "I'm a university student and Isara's working to be an engineer. She's responsible for this beauty we're riding in right now."

There was a low whistle from further back, Welkin's eyes finding the other man. "That's impressive! Oh, sorry, the name's Walter Nash. I'm a cook from up north."

Welkin nodded. "Pleased to meet you. Oh, hold on, we're about to head through."

Conversation ceased as they made the gate, several people in Militia uniform inspecting their belongings and paperwork. It was incredibly efficient, compared to what Welkin could see of the regular checkpoints, and they were rumbling down the streets of Randgriz shortly.

"Wow," a young voice breathed, "this is where stars are born!"

Alicia glanced back to see the girl that had been helping Nash strike a pose. "Look out world, Edy Nelson has arrived!"

The entire convoy stopped to stare at the girl, even as she held her pose. Welkin started chuckling, soon followed by the others until everyone was laughing.

Edy glared at them. "Hey, what's so funny?"

Alicia smiled at her. "Nothing, it's just good to see some enthusiasm. Considering how star struck you are, I'm guessing you're a country girl like me."

Edy looked away, a blush painting her cheeks. "N-no! I'm a starlet, and I'll be the best idol when I make my debut!"

Alicia hopped off the Edelweiss and walked over to Edy, wrapping an arm around the younger girl with a smile. "Aw, don't be like that. You're a kind girl, I can tell."

Edy tried to pry Alicia off, but eventually gave up against the stronger girl and mumbled the rest of the way. Welkin smiled at the display of friendliness and I could see some respect shining in the other's eyes for Alicia.

"You the newbies?"

The question was barked at them, a man with an eyepatch stalking up to them. Now the Welkin really looked around, they had arrived at a wide field with a white and blue building in the center that was surrounded by a variety of other buildings and what looked like training grounds.

If he had to guess, this was Militia Headquarters.

The man in front of them snorted. "So, you'll be the ones I have to test, eh? Alright, listen up, how many of you were planning to volunteer rather than be drafted?"

Every hand shot up, even Edy's to Welkin's surprise, while Isara shouted an affirmative from her seat.

The man huffed. "Well, that's good at least. Alright, here's the deal, I'm your Drill Sergeant, and I will be beating your miserable hides into what could dare be called respectable soldiers! Meet me at training ground five in two hours, but before that, you are to be assigned to a regiment and squad. Familiarize yourself with the grounds or get out of here!"

The man turned on his heel and marched away, leaving the shell-shocked recruits behind.

Welkin recovered first. "So, uh, shall we get going?"

Isara kicked the Edelweiss back into gear and they were on their way again. As they walked towards the big building, the sounds of training soldiers, engineers, and tanks formed a constant buzz that lended a sense of life to the otherwise austere visage the HQ presented. It reflected rather nicely on the Militia itself if you asked Welkin, serious, but human.

They were met at the entrance by the woman from earlier, flanked by several other officers. "Greetings recruits. We may have met already, but I have yet to formally introduce myself. My name is Captain Eleanor Varrot, and I lead the 3rd Militia Regiment. Today, you will all be joining Squad 7 of my regiment as it is the only one with any vacancies as of this time."

She nodded to the man on her left. "This is Sergeant Largo Potter. As of this point in time, he's the commanding officer of Squad 7."

The grizzled man scratched as his sideburns, a frown on his face. "They don't look like much, Ellen. Think they can actually help?"

Varrot snorted. "If that tank there is not a good reason to bring them on, I don't know what is. Besides, they kept cool heads during an altercation outside the gates, which is better than most of the volunteers you currently have."

Largo snorted right back, making a smirk rise on Alicia's face. Well, Welkin thought she was smirking, but he couldn't tell from his angle.

Varrot cleared her throat and nodded to the woman on her left. "This is Corporal Bridgette Stark, current second in command of Squad 7. She's the leader of the shock trooper division within the squad, so if any of you are assigned as one, you answer to her."

The woman Varrot nodded towards flicked her nose, her ginger hair bobbing in the twin buns she wore. "I don't like 'em. Don't look like they've ever actually fought before."

Welkin sighed as Varrot reprimanded the woman. "Warm welcome."

That got a laugh out of Walter. "You can say that again! Hoping the others are a little friendlier."

His face darkened greatly. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm worthless."

Welkin stared at the dramatic mood shift, sharing a look with both Alicia and Nadine before turning his attention back to the Captain. "So, how are we going to be assigned? Is there some kind of test?"

Varrot nodded. "There is. I know you've already met Rodriguez, and he'll be determining whether you have what it takes to be a Scout, Shock Trooper, Lancer, Engineer, or Sniper. But first, you will come with me and go over your prior experience in the required basic training. From there, we'll decide on rank and general aptitude."

She pointed at Welkin. "You sir, will be my first interviewee. Follow me to my office, the rest of you, wait in the reception hall until I call for you."

Welkin scratched his head. "Uh, ok, but what about the Edelweiss?"

Varrot's eyes widened. "Oh, so this is General Gunther's tank? That must make you Welkin Gunther, and if I had to guess, Theimer's daughter Isara is in there as well."

Welkin whistled. "All that from just the tank's name? How'd you guess?"

Varrot nodded towards Largo. "He and I were under General Gunther's command. We had to transfer regiments during the war, but I knew he was fond of the Edelweiss and Largo would find Theimer tinkering on it at strange hours."

Largo chuckled, likely reliving old memories, while Varrot turned on her heel. "But, that matters little. Follow me, Mr. Gunther."

Welkin scratched his head and clambered out of the Edelweiss, promising to find Isara and Alicia later while ignoring the shocked looks of the others. He followed Varrot closely, silently noting the twists and turns of the building as they wound through elegant hallways. Eventually, he was ushered through a pair of oak doors and found himself in a large room that held row upon row of books.

At the center was a large desk with a variety of documents on it, along with a globe and several pens. One of the walls was void of books, instead holding a large map of Gallia with various markings on it.

"Please, sit."

Welkin gulped and took a seat in one of the chairs before the desk. Varrot was looking over a paper and started listing various points.

"So, Mr. Gunther, you're currently a third year university student studying Biology. While it's not necessarily important, you are the son of General Belgen Gunther and Lissa Gunther, but grew up in the care of a nanny after the first war took your mother's life. After the war, your sister Isara joined the family. Then, after you father's death, you took the armored command course in high school where you passed with flying colors."

She glanced up from the paper, sighing at Welkin's fidgeting. "Calm down, I'm nearly done."

She cleared her throat and continued. "Beyond that, you passed the general training course required of every Gallian citizen, doing especially well at the Scout exercises. However, your scores in armored command far outstrip your other scores."

The paper fell back to the desk. "So, Mr. Gunther, care to share any special skills you may have? The more I know, the better I can help you with your role."

Welkin scrunched his face in thought but couldn't come up with anything. "Not military wise. I'm just a naturalist that happens to know how my dad's tank works, and that's mostly because Isara gave me a crash course on the way here."

Varrot sighed. "That's more than most. Alright, here's what's likely going to happen."

Her head came to rest on her hands. "Based on your scores and our distinct lack of people that could effectively direct the Edelweiss, you will be promoted to Lieutenant and placed in command of Squad 7. It's bound to be a blow to Largo's ego and he won't accept you until you can prove your worth. Another problem's Miss Stark."

Welkin tilted his head. "Why would she be an issue?"

Varrot frowned. "She has a known hatred of Darcesns. Squad 7 already has several Darcsen members and she's been reported to give them a hard time along with a few of the others. Thankfully many in Squad 7 hold no such prejudice, but I'm warning you just in case."

Welkin heaved a sigh. "Thank you, Captain…"

His head came up, a confused frown on his face. "Wait, if I become a Lieutenant, doesn't that mean I nominally outrank you? That doesn't make too much sense."

Varrot shook her head. "I understand the confusion, but I am a captain in name only. In truth, my duties and responsibilities are more in line with a Colonel, I just made one particularly influential bureaucrat upset."

She adjusted her glasses. "That, however, is unimportant. My interview is done for now, please send in Miss Alicia Melchiott next. Once these are done, you'll be reporting to Rodriguez followed by an orientation. Dismissed."

Welkin nodded and left the room, winding his way through the twisting halls again before he found the reception hall. Isara ran up to him, eager to hear what he had to say. "So, how'd it go Welks?"

Welkin shrugged. "Pretty standard stuff. Hey, Alicia, you're up!"

Alicia waved from where she was sitting and asked a passing soldier where to go before disappearing down the hall. Welkin took her place while Isara sat beside him, the two trying to ignore the looks the others were giving them.

Eventually, Welkin groaned. "Alright, fine, let's get this over with."

He stood. "Yes, I am General Gunther's son, but I had no plans to follow in his footsteps. I want to study Biology and become a teacher so I can share the wonders of the natural world with the children."

He pointed to Isara. "Isara does want to be an engineer, but she's not Theimer and doesn't want to be treated special because of it. Let her work speak for itself!"

Silence greeted him, no one speaking until Wavy pushed up his glasses. "I see, a teacher? I always enjoy seeing another one who wished to dispense knowledge, would you like to assist me?"

The room relaxed, Nadine laughing. "I know a lot of people from my days in college, so if you ever need a book on something, let me know! Oh, but let me know if you find anything interesting, I need stuff for my book."

Walter smiled too. "You can count on me! I make a mean cinnamon bun, and I can even get a garden going if I find the time."

Welkin laughed. "Let me know when you start pruning, I may be able to find some bugs I haven't collected yet."

Everyone turned to look at Edy, who was pouting. She looked around, eyes narrowing in anger. "What?"

Isara gave her the most gentle, dangerous smile the other girl had ever seen. "Don't you have something to share? We're all doing it at this point."

Edy pouted before standing on the chair she'd chosen. "I don't care if you're the son of some former bigshot! Edy Nelson shall be a star that glows brighter than any other!"

Welkin rolled his eyes. "So, we can peg you as the one that doesn't actually say what they mean then?"

Edy erupted again, making a true spectacle of herself while the others laughed, even Wavy. On the other end of the hall, a trio of heads poked their way out from behind a corner.

The first, a woman with a dark skin and black hair, whispered to the one below her. "So, what do you think of them, Hannes?"

The one below her, a man with a square jaw and long curly hair, grunted. "Hannes think they're funny. Maybe they be good against Imps."

The final one on the bottom groaned. "Dammit Hannes, get off me! You're the big guy, you should be on the bottom!"

Hannes shushed him. "Oscar be quiet, you give away position."

A voice broke up their spying. "Freesia, Hannes, Oscar, what are you punks doing here? I told you to stay in the barracks until the newbies showed up."

They jumped to their feet, firing off salutes born of almost two weeks of training. "Sir, Largo, Sir!"

Largo rolled his eyes, a freshly lit cigar between his lips. "Can it and get back to the barracks. Last thing you lot want is Rodriguez catching you when he's got new blood coming his way."

The three saluted and scurried out of the building, leaving Largo to take their spot. A puff of smoke escaped his lips as he looked his new charges up and down. "Rookies, as I expected. Let's see if Rodriguez can find anything in them first, then we'll see if they can actually take combat."

The cigar returned to his lips. "Hell, we'll see if anyone besides myself and Rosie can actually do this. Should be fun, 'specially with that loud mouth."

He smirked and left, already looking forward to saving their jabbering hides.

 _Ch. End_

 **Ah, I think that's a good spot to stop.**

 **As you can see, I've introduced some of the members that will be sticking around for a while. Wavy's a favorite because he's very reliable and I feel he and Welkin could bond over a shared interest in teaching. I feel Nadine is similar, but could act as a foil to Isara.**

 **Walter's just a fun guy if you ask me, even with the mood swings, and I like the idea of him and Alcia being the literal bread winners of Squad 7.**

 **Finally, Edy, dear Edy. I find her personality and the sheer lack of care Rosie gives to the supposed rivalry hilarious, even though she's actually a nice girl. You just have to dig through the mile thick sense of arrogance and entitlement, which gets a lot thinner when the Drill Sergeant gets through with her.**

 **You also saw three others, who need no introduction, so I'll end the not here.**

 **Hope you enjoy the chapter and have a great day!**


End file.
